Sunday, April 27, 2008

The Monday Quiz XXV

Critically-Acclaimed American Movies

These images come from movies that rank near the top of many "best-ever" lists. For each image, identify the movie. Witty, erudite, or otherwise self-aggrandizing remarks demonstrating your comprehensive knowledge of the film in question won't do you any good, but are of course nevertheless encouraged.

1 / Casablanca -- with the great Sydney Greenstreet in a minor role. Kevin Bacon's parents once lived on Green Street in San Francisco.

2 / Apocalypse Now -- Marlon Brando got a bit plump by the time he was in Apocalypse now. John Candy was already plump when he was in Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Kevin Bacon.

3 / Chinatown -- featured the incredible Jack Nicholson who once sat next to Chevy Chase at a Lakers' game. Chevy was in The Three Amigos with Steve Martin, who starred in LA Story. Kevin Bacon once read a story.

4 / Lawrence of Arabia -- not D.H., but T.E Lawrence, Te being the central word of the title of the Tao Te Ching, important to Chinese philosophy. Kevin Bacon will be inspired by this missive in a future life.

5 / On the Waterfront -- starred Marlon Brando who once traced his roots all the way back to Adam and Eve...from whom Kevin Bacon is a direct descendant.

1. Casablanca - Of all the gin joints in all the towns...2. Apocalypse Now - I love the smell of napalm in the morning3. Chinatown - Jack Nicholson gets nosey4. Lawrence of Arabia - "`Awrence! `Awrence!"5. On the Waterfront - "I coulda been a contenda..."

I am not a movie buff, but I actually know two of these! Well, know one and can guess one.1) Casablanca (and I even know the words "Play it again, Sam" were never uttered in the film). I am probably one of only a few people who saw Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam before I saw Casablanca. It might have been better the other way around.3) Chinatown. Someone told me about the nose, and so I never went to the movie. But I will never forget what happened to the nose. Yuk. It doesn't look as bad here as it does in my mind.

1. Casablanca2. Apocalypse Now: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning"3. Chinatown (referred to by Don Worster of KU as his favorite Western)4. Lawrence of Arabia5. Damn. I dunno. How about "On the Waterfront"?

Always a little lesson in humility, knowing I don't stand a chance at winning a coveted punctuation mark. . .

1 Casablanca. Thank you. 2 I'm sure this is a fine movie. I've presumably heard of it. There is a maverick commander and a group of fine young men, some of whom will be blown to bits. It's called, um, it's called The Guns of Hell. 3 I thought this one was familiar, then realized I've just seen the bandaged-nose business recently on The Darjeeling Express. I'm thinking this is that little-known Coen Brothers remake of The Grapes of Wrath, with the inexplicably compelling mobster subplot. 4 Ah, Lawrence of Arabia. A movie I've seen twice on the big screen and just adore. But don't mention that to Michael5000, who is likely to yawn and roll his eyes. 5 Well, that looks like Marlon Brando, and things aren't going especially well. So I'll say On the Waterfront. It's creepy how that hand seems to belong to the wrong person's arm, snaking behind the seat. Or is that just me?

1. Casablanca. I remember the first time I saw it. I had to see a few others immediately afterward. Key Largo and Maltese and I can remember the others. It gets me in a mood.2. Apocalypse Now3. China Town same vein as 1. to me of course4. Lawrence of Arabia. I don't remember much but what it looked like.5. On the Waterfront. I fall asleep to it every time. I think because they only show it late late at night.

1. Casablanca - "Play it Sam" - not "Play it again, Sam"2. Apocolypse Now (aka film version of Conrad's Heart of Darkness)3. Chinatown - ouch. It's still hard to look at that nose. 4. Lawrence of Arabia5. On the Waterfront - "Stellaaaaa", no, I meant, "Johnny, Johnny...".

@Calico: I actually posted it at about 10:30 Sunday night, as usual. The 8:36 p.m. time you are seeing is when I composed and saved it on Sunday night; Blogger has the irritating habit of listing the initial save time as the posting time unless you go in and manually change it.

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